Sudanese Islamist opposition leader Hassan al-Turabi said Saturday his party will boycott the coming elections, saying they are both illegitimate and unconstitutional and will not be free and fair.

Turabi said his party would continue exposing "all unconstitutional shortcomings and corruption", and would not resort to force but warned: "If all avenues are blocked before us, there will be an uprising."

"The PNC Consultative Council has decided to boycott the presidential and legislative elections and the accompanying referendum on amendments of the Constitution and that the party will strive within the limited margin of freedom to expose the malpractices in preparations of the elections," Turabi told a news conference at his home here Saturday.

He warned that his party would "bear the consequences of detention and arbitrary measures and pursue its stance until the public life in Sudan is reformed with the exit of this regime from the power it is holding illegitimately."

Preparations for both the presidential and parliamentary elections due December 11-20 have already started with the publication of electoral lists.

President Omar Bashir has already been declared candidate by the ruling National Congress (NC) party, although nominations were not due till November 13-16.

Turabi has accused Bashir's government of suspending most of the Constitution, referring to what he called the "arbitrary" dissolution of the National Assembly which he led, and claiming that it has frozen the federal system.

He also charged it had imposed a centralized system by appointing governors of states who, according to the Constitution, should be elected by people living in those states.

"The elections will be held in the absence of the Constitutional basic freedoms and will be organized by electoral committees of the government employees and army officers," said Turabi.

He said equal opportunities among the candidates would also be lacking, claiming that millions of pounds would be taken from the public treasury and from donations imposed on public and private businesses to meet election expenses of candidates – KHARTOUM (AFP)